National Hardwood Magazine - October 2021

U.S.A. TRENDS
Supplier news about
sales, labor, prices, trends,
expansions and inventories
MERIDIEN HARDWOODS OF PA., INC.
“Everything You’ll Ever Need From The Forest”
LAKE STATES
The Hardwood lumber markets in the Lake States
continue to be strong.
A Michigan lumber provider said his market is “great,
the best it’s ever been as far as sales go. However, obtaining
materials is harder, prices we pay are up and materials
are harder to come by.”
A few months ago, business was about the same, he
stated. As it was then, “Everything is great as of now,”
he said.
He handles Ash, Red and White Oak, Cherry, Cedar,
Walnut and other species, along with softwood and
imports. White Oak is his best seller. “As fast as we’re
bringing White Oak in, it’s going out.” He sells to distribution
yards, end users and a wide variety of other
customers, who buy “from a single stick or sample up
to a full truckload,” he noted. His customers’ businesses
are “going well,” he observed. “Everyone’s really busy.
“Transportation always plays a factor in our business,”
he remarked. “There are delays but they’re minor overall.”
In Wisconsin, a sawmill representative assessed his
market as “pretty good. Maple is my best seller. Red
Oak is my slowest selling specie right now. I won’t say
it’s bad by any means, but it’s backed off. I’ll put it that
way.” He said some of this slowing of sales is seasonal.
As for the time of year, he said that lately, he has been
able to air-dry his lumber before putting it in the kilns,
and this yields more lumber to sell at a given time. Asked
if this additional lumber has been moving, he replied,
“For the most part, yes.”
His market is better, he stated, than it was several
months ago “because I’ve been sawing a lot of Maple,
and Maple is very strong.” In fact, Maple and White Oak
are his best sellers. Other species he sells include Red
Oak, Cherry, Hickory and Basswood. He sells his lumber
mostly to end users but also to distribution yards. “All my
customers that I talk to are doing very well,” he stated.
“If they had more help, they’d be buying more lumber.
“Lately, we’ve been very fortunate with transportation,”
NORTHEAST
Lumber sources in the Northeast region are reporting
a steady market after months of price increases and low
supply.
One salesman from a sawmill located in Maine stated
that domestic Hardwood sales are strong, but the labor
shortage has made the otherwise standard market difficult
to navigate.
“The biggest issue is the labor market,” he said. “We
don’t have the personnel to run efficiently or take advantage
of a strong market, especially in certain items.”
The source added that the labor shortage has slowed
this mill’s production of high-grade Hardwood lumber, including
Yellow Birch, Hard and Soft Maple, Ash and Red
Oak, available in 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 8/4. The company also
produces unfinished and prefinished Hardwood flooring
and has a division for softwood.
“The demand for most items supersedes the supply by
far,” he said.
“I sell to yards and truckload-quantity end users, who
are frustrated by price increases, but are overall doing
well.
“Business is good for most everyone,” he said. “I think
it’s been difficult with price increases because they were
so drastic there for a while, but with that being said, I
think they’re able to pass a lot of those added costs onto
their customers.”
The contact added, “It’s still frustrating, A: because of
the supply. Finding the material they need is very frustrating,
and B: every time they talk to one of our suppliers
like myself, we’ll be asking for a higher price.”
According to him, the market has also slowed due to
typical summer doldrums such as employees taking off
for vacation, companies preparing for the fall season,
and machine maintenance.
Trucking prices have continued to increase during the
past several months, as has the cost of lumber. However,
this source from Maine believes it has stabilized.
“I think it’s starting to reach a plateau at this stage,”
he said.
Please turn to page 59 Please turn to page 62
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BUILD YOUR OWN LOAD
Brandon Ferman
Office: 814-563-4614
Cell: 814-688-6691
Email: brandonferman@hotmail.com
Dan Ferman
Office: 814-563-4614
Michael Songer
Office: 814-486-1711
Cell: 814-594-0827
Email: mjs@zitomedia.net
(800) 780-3187 FAX: (800) 292-5773
Jeff Childs
Office: 740-392-7727
Cell: 740-398-3474
Email: jeffchilds7@yahoo.com
Website: www.meridienpa.com • Email: meridien@penn.com
Yard Address: Old Pittsfield Rd., Pittsfield, PA 16340
8 OCTOBER 2021 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 9